Months away from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and Brant hadn’t even qualified for the iconic race for 2-year-olds, but he was already being touted as a favorite in the $2 million race. The hype had been sky-high about the Zedan Stables colt, but should Bob Baffert be playing safe now, with the Breeders’ Juvenile just a month away?

October 4 will be a big day for the trainers with Breeders’ Cup ambitions. Some will be at the Santa Anita Park, while the others will be at Keeneland. And the plan is to qualify for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. So, naturally, you would expect Brant to be skipping the Breeders’ Futurity and the American Pharoah Stakes. After all, the priority for Bob Baffert would be to keep his $3 million colt safe before the Juvenile is run on October 31.

Anything can happen on the tracks, especially when the Breeders’ Futurity has such a stacked field, which Brian Zipse, the senior writer for Horse Racing Nation, shared on September 28 from his X handle. “Saturday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Kenneland is a race I’m really looking forward to. My top rated 2-year-old Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) should get tested by Big Dom (McKinzie), Blackout Time (Not This Time), Ewing (Knicks Go), and Spice Runner (Gun Runner) among others.”

Now imagine Brant being thrown into the mix. For starters, all the above-mentioned thoroughbreds have won their last races, with Ted Noffey winning the G1 Hopeful Stakes on September 1st. And who did he beat? Bob Baffert’s Buetane. But hey, Brant is no pushover. Rather, it would be a thrilling showdown on October 4. That is, if Bob Baffert decides to enter his prized 2-year-old in the Keeneland race.

And he also has the option to enter the Gun Runner colt in the American Pharoah Stakes. An X update from sdhorserace on September 27 went: “Brant worked 5-furlongs in 59.8 at Santa Anita Park Saturday for trainer Bob Baffert. 60/89. The G1 Del Mar Futurity winner may go next in the G1 American Pharoah on October 4th or train-up to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on October 31st.”

The safest option would be to keep Brant away from both the high-profile races on Oct. 4. An injury can shatter Bob Baffert’s season, which has been hinging so much on a success at the Breeders’ Cup. Rather, he should take care of his colt and ensure it runs well at Del Mar come October 31. That would only be apt for the promise Brant has shown.

Brant has taken 2025 by storm

Baffert is the winningest trainer in the Breeders’ Cup. Rather, one may make the argument that he is the winningest trainer at almost every major race there is in North America. That is why the 2025 season has been so uncharacteristic for the 72-year-old icon. He failed to place at the Triple Crown races; he had his major 3-year-olds failing to keep up with the best thoroughbreds of the season, and if not for Del Mar, his season would be downright poor.

But Bob Baffert did mention he has been focusing on the young ones lately, with some good ones coming up. And Brant can be said to be the leader of the pack. He broke his maiden in his debut race only, a maiden special weight on July 26, where he won the 5 ½ furlong race by 5 ¼ lengths, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. That made him only the 6th juvenile to score a 3-figure Beyer Speed rating in 5-7 furlong races this decade. And it’s not every day you come across a horse that scores a 3-figure Beyer rating on debut.

So, naturally, he has gotten the hopes up for everyone connected to him. Especially when he showed his dominant calibre at the Del Mar Futurity on September 7. That 1-length win secured his contention for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. In fact, maybe Bob Baffert is dreaming of the record-breaking Kentucky Derby win in 2026 courtesy of the Gun Runner colt.

But we’re getting too ahead of ourselves. Let’s see how he does at the Breeders’ Cup. But, Baffert’s plans for October 4 are something to keep an eye on.